Summary
Tekken 8is the latest entry in the long-running fighting game franchise.The first game was released in 1994, and over the 30 years following, the series has remained a staple of the fighting game genre. The series' 3D movement and often outlandish lore set it apart from other big franchises in the genre.Tekken 7introduced a number of guest characters, such as Akuma fromStreet Fighterand Negan fromThe Walking Dead. Now thatTekken 8is in players' hands, fans are demanding new guest characters, andFinal Fantasy 7’s Tifa Lockhart is by far the most requested.
The demand forTifa inTekken 8has become so great that its director, Katsuhiro Harada, has had to respond to it publicly. While his response made it clear that the development team has not committed to any specific guest characters, the call for Tifa makes a tremendous amount of sense. Tifa Lockhart is a fan-favorite character fromFinal Fantasy 7, and her fighting style is a perfect fit for a fighting game since she is a pugilist. Tifa’s penchant for hand-to-hand combat, especially as it is depicted inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, echoes many of Tekken’s characters' use of martial arts. GivenTekken’s over-the-top nature, even some of her more fantastic abilities would still feel right at home.
Tifa Is The Best FF Character For a Tekken Appearance
Final Fantasy 15’s Noctis was featured inTekken 7, so including Tifa in this newest entry would be a great way to continue the collaborative effort between the two series. Furthermore, one could argue that Tifa is a far better fit forTekkenthan Noctis was. Weapons are something of a rarity inTekken, as are abilities such as teleportation. Noctis had both of these inTekken 7, but his character still worked. In this new entry,Tekken’s Victor Chevaliershares many similarities with Noctis, which is a testament to how well his unique abilities were implemented. While Noctis was surprisingly great, Tifa and her abilities would be more at home in aTekkengame.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is Right Around the Corner
As well as Tifa being a natural fit forTekken,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis right around the corner, making now the perfect time for her to pop up as a guest in a different series. While Harada’s statements made it clear that her addition is not planned, announcing her inclusion following the release ofRebirthwould be the perfect celebration of its launch.FF7’s Tifa Lockhartmay not be as immediately recognizable as Cloud, but she is one ofFF7’s most important characters and one of gaming’s most powerful women. There would be no better way to celebrateFF7 Rebirthand her appearance in it than her inclusion inTekken 8.
How Would Tifa Play in Tekken 8?
If Tifa were to appear inTekken 8, she could retain many of her abilities as they are represented inFF7 Remake. Her uppercut could be translated intoTekken 8as a launcher, and she could accordingly be given greater flexibility in the air than other characters. Like inFF7 Remake, her combat style could focus on fast movement and rapid strikes.Tifa goes through many changes across theFF7series, including her appearance. This means that she has plenty of looks and outfits that could appear as alternative costumes for her in aTekkengame.
Part of the reason that fans are demanding Tifa forTekken 8is that she seems like such a natural fit for it. As a pugilist, she fits right into the martial arts landscape of the series. She already has alternative costumes that the developers could recreate, and even the most outlandish and anime-inspired elements of her fighting style wouldn’t feel out of place inTekken. A guest character was not amongTekken 8’s leaked DLC, but it’s possible that later seasons of DLC could include them, and leaks should be taken with a grain of salt anyway. IfTekken 8brings back guest characters, Tifa Lockhart fromFinal Fantasy 7would be an obvious choice, with many fans eagerly hoping for her inclusion already.
